A while ago I asked for advice on buying soda ash for some tests I wanted to run on increasing surface fluxing.

I want to thank everyone for the advice ... got the soda ash and ran some tests and I think it will work out for me. Unfortunately two coats of the solution is a bit too unpredictable ... some areas are perfect and others are either too dull or too shiny ... and three coats make the piece way too glaze shiny ... as usual, more testing ahead.

Question #2

I think part my problem was that as the saturated solution cooled, particles started to reform ... so is the answer is to keep the solution warm enough to keep everything dissolved??

I think brushing a watery solution will be very difficult to apply evenly. A gum solution should help quite a bit. I would start with 1 tablespoon of CMC gum to a 1/2 gallon of water. Add gum to water, let it sit overnight then blend with hand blender. Thin as needed.

If you are making narrow topped vessels like a vase, you could make an air tight lid and pressurize the inside of the vessel. This would create positive air pressure and prevent deep absorption of your soda ash solution.